On Friday, 18 in November, the second semi-final of the National Couples Tournament of the XIIIº World Championship left us with an image that has been much talked about during the last days. Mapi and Majo Sánchez Alayeto could not play the game due to the lack of agreement between the Spanish Federation and StarVie on the clothes that the players had to wear in that match. The General Director of the signature of the star tells us the reasons that led him to make that decision.
Padel World Press .- In the face of the continuous statements and opinions that have been published about the non participation of the Atomic Twins in the semifinals of the 2016 World Pairs Test, in Padel World Press we wanted to talk with the different parties involved.
In this case, we had the opportunity to talk with Jorge Gómez de la Vega, head of StarVie, who told us: “This whole matter arose on Tuesday, the 15th. Enrique Vicente arrived in Cascais and saw that the rest of the teams were playing the Tournament for Couples with commercial clothing, to call it somehow, while the Spanish Federation once again forced our players to compete with the equipment of the brand that sponsors it, that is, with the clothing of the Test by Selections . At that moment, I got in touch with the Federation Vocal and told him that we were having this mess again, that it had been happening to all of us and that things had not been regulated since the last World Cup. As he told me that internationals were obliged to play with that outfit, I asked him to send me the Regulations, the clause of the private contract he had with the other brand ... What he wanted was to know what we had to abide by and, above all, have knowledge of the rule by which our players had to play the World Cup for Couples with FEP clothes, especially when the rest of the Federations were not doing so ”.
In his account of the events, he added: "As I say, that was Tuesday. I told the Vocal that Mapi and Majo had gone without StarVie's clothes but that we were going to send them immediately, so he had a period of two days to send the documentation that we had requested. In that first conversation, the representative of the FEP did not stop telling me that they were right but, well, the days went by until Thursday the equipment arrived at the Twins. I spoke with them and told them that nothing had been sent to me from the Spanish Federation, that there was nothing regulated and that the FIP Rules are very clear at that point: it indicates that the selection team must wear the Team Tournament. Nationals, but nothing more. That was the beginning of this story. "
And why was that point not officially regulated before the start of a new World Cup? Faced with this question, he pointed out: “That is something that the FEP would have to answer, which signs a private contract with another brand and sends a guideline to the players but does not do so to the brands that we sponsor them. It is true that there is a failure on the part of all, in agreement, but that document that they send to the players to the firms does not oblige us to anything. An agreement should have been reached with the brands because we are the ones who are supporting the players throughout the year while the Federation does not put a single euro for these ladies and gentlemen to train, play, prepare and compete during the rest of the season ... Do I say that we will have to say something in this matter?
It is not a new situation: "Because it's something that has been going on since the World Cup in Palma de Mallorca and nobody has done anything. I, in my company, have a very intense day to day and, in the end, they are things that you are leaving and you do not remember. At the moment in which we noticed the issue and found that the other players are not competing with the clothing of their respective teams, it is when the problem re-emerges. I think it's the work of the Spanish Federation and not just dedicate itself to signing an agreement with a brand and forgetting about the rest or the private contract that, in our case, StarVie has with its players. "
How would they have acted if they had had proof before the World Cup dispute of the Guidelines sent by the FEP to the players? As he assured us: “Well, it would have been negotiated, conversations would have been started, but I'm telling you, from Tuesday to Friday at 11:00 in the morning, one hour before the game, I did not receive that guideline. In my opinion, it was a clear manipulation and time management. As we say in the last line of our Communication, we reserve the right to take legal action against the FEP and the FIP. In this matter there are many harmed. Not only the Twins, which for them has been a real drama, but also our brand and other sponsors. What does Volvo think, what does BMW think, what does Adeslas think, what does Damm think? We are the ones who are paying all year long so that these gentlemen are seen in the right place ... And all this without forgetting that the paddle in general has been splashed by this issue and an image that is not good has been transmitted. I think that the Federation has not measured the consequences and has acted in an excessive and disproportionate way ”.
Could this incident imply a turning point that allows brands and Federations to sit down at the same table to reach consensus that will prevent this type of situation from happening again? The Director General of StarVie said: "That is our first proposal. Our lawyer will try to reach a consensus and that this matter is resolved. It is essential that this situation is regulated so that it does not happen again, as it is in other sports, such as tennis. Do you see Nadal play with the clothes of the Federation when he represents Spain? In the Davis Cup, the marks of each player are told what are the characteristics of the clothes they must wear during the competition, each signature is made following those guidelines and period. Tell you that for the moment we have had an approach and this afternoon there will be meetings. "
By way of conclusion, Jorge Gómez de la Vega said: "I want to say that we have done this with a lot of pain in our hearts, because we have deprived our Twins of competing in a World Cup semifinals, but we believe that we have acted in defense of the interests of paddle in general. It is a situation that has to be fixed, that must be professionalized. We continue in our line, to offer a 100% Spanish product and to do our bit for the paddle to grow and develop in the right way so that more and more sponsors come. "
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